Category: San Francisco Giants

AP Photo File: San Francisco Giants’ Matt Moore throws in the outfield before the baseball game against the San Diego Padres Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Orlando Ramirez

By Jeremy Harness

 The Giants won a road game against Colorado, which is always a cause for celebration, no matter what kind of season they are having.

 The Giants will now try to build on that positive momentum and carry it into Chicago, as they start a three-game series on Friday night against the White Sox.

 Besides having won its last game, more good news for the Giants comes in the fact that the White Sox are reeling at this point. In fact, Chicago is coming off a four-game sweep at the hands of the American League Central-leading Cleveland Indians.

 Ironically, the White Sox lost their most recent contest by the same score, 11-2, as the Giants won theirs. They have also lost eight of their last 10 games dating back to Aug. 29.

 Furthermore, Chicago is in the same overall state this season as the Giants. The White Sox are in last place in the AL Central with a 54-85 mark, which puts them 29 ½ games out of first place.

 To keep their trend going, the Giants are going to lean on Matt Moore (4-13), who has this month to show the Giants that he is worthy to be in the starting rotation next season after a very dismal 2017 campaign, by far the worst of his seven-year career.

 However, he has shown some signs of coming out of it. In his last outing, he went two scoreless innings last Sunday against St. Louis, during which he gave up only a hit to go along with a strikeout.

 He will take the hill opposite Chicago righty Lucas Giolito (2-1), who has won his last two starts and has surrendered only a run on six hits combined in the process. He has also walked only four and struck out 14 batters, including a 10-strikeout outing against Tampa Bay in his last outing on Sept. 3.

San Francisco Giants’ Joe Panik smiles after his single off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Shane Carle to lead off the eighth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Denver. The Giants won 11-3. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

By Jeremy Harness

 On Wednesday, the Giants experienced a new low – yeah, there was a new one – but there was also a high that the team has never experienced before.

 Second baseman Joe Panik absolutely torched the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday with five hits to point the Giants toward a 11-3 win at Coors Field, a place that his team, even when things are going much better, have found it very difficult to get wins over the years.

 In the process, Panik tied a franchise record by collecting 11 hits in a three-game series, the first time that has occurred since 1995. He also saw his average climb to .285 and drive in a pair of runs and scored three more.

 The Giants got the hit parade going off Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (11-10, 3.89 ERA) very quickly on Wednesday, racing out to a 5-0 lead in the first four innings, including a first inning that saw rookie Austin Slater single in a pair of runs.

 Panik had a pair of doubles, both of which drove in runs and added to the Giants’ lead. In addition to panic, four other Giants had multi-hit games, including center fielder Gorkys Hernandez, who had a pair of hits that drove in three runs.

 Meanwhile, Johnny Cueto (7-7, 4.54 ERA) went five innings and surrendered only a run on five hits, walking only one batter and striking out seven, picking up his first win since June 30 at Pittsburgh. When Cueto exited the game, four relievers combined to give up two runs on three hits.

Now for the low.

 Pablo Sandoval, whom the Giants welcomes back with open arms this season, set a new franchise record on Wednesday by going hitless over 38 straight at-bats. His last hit came on Aug. 25, when he singled against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

San Francisco Giants’ Buster Posey breaks from first base on a ground ball hit by Brandon Crawford off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chad Bettis in the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, in Denver. Posey was forced out at second base on the play. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

1 How important it was for the Giants pitcher Jeff Samardjiza to win the NL Player of the Week Award. Considering how bad things have gone for the Giants that was one of the illuminating moments for the ball club

2 Samardjiza pitched a three hit shutout against the Padres on Aug 28th then over seven innings then threw a shutout against the Cardinals

3 The Giants catcher Buster Posey is day to day after getting hit in the hand from a foul tip, the Giants no doubt will miss him out of the line up

4 The Giants continue this match up with Colorado Bochy wants to get out of this road swing with at least a win the team has lost every game on this trip

Michael Duca does the Giants podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants’ Pablo Sandoval strikes out swinging against Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Antonio Senzatela during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Denver. Colorado won 9-6. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

By Jeremy Kahn

With the season coming to an end in less than a month, the San Francisco Giants are limping towards the finish line.

Chris Rusin won his fourth game of the season, as the Colorado Rockies defeated the Giants 9-6 at Coors Field.

It was the 10th straight win for the Rockies over the Giants this season, as the Rockies continue their push for the second wild-card spot in the National League.

Rusin was part of an eight-man reliever crew on the evening, as Tyler Chatwood made the impromptu start for the Rockies and pitched three innings.

It was the first start for Chatwood since August 2, and he threw 61 pitches in those three innings.

Ty Blach, who is from the Denver area, gave up five runs in 5.1 innings on the first anniversary of Blach’s major league debut at Coors Field.

After falling behind 7-3 going into the top of the eighth inning, the Giants began to mount a late inning comeback.

Denard Span got the rally started, as he hit a two-run double and then Joe Panik hit a single for his fourth hit of the game. Adam Ottovino came on, and struck out Buster Posey on a pitch out of the strike zone to end the rally and the inning.

Nolan Arenado tied Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins for most RBIs in the major league with 112. Trevor Story also hit a home run for the Rockies.

Pablo Sandoval went 0-for-4 on the evening with a walk, as he is now 0-for his last 37, tying the Giants team record for longest streak without a hit. Johnnie LeMaster set the record in 1984.

NOTES: Johnny Cueto make his second start since returning from the disabled list with blisters and a strained flexor tendon.

Posey was forced to leave the game in the bottom of the eighth inning after he was hit on his throwing hand on a foul ball.

Two Giants pitchers made their major-league debuts, Reyes Moronta was recalled from Sacramento and Roberto Gomez’s contract was purchased from Sacramento.

Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton rounds second base as he hit a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

SAN FRANCISCO–Let’s image that the Giants can make some kind of a deal with the Marlins (who will have new owners and want to reduce payroll) would Giancarlo Stanton with the Giants in 2018 be the difference? Many are thinking about that, but I believe they need more than Stanton. The Miami Marlins now have Derek Jeter as part of the new ownership, he is investing $25 million, and he will pay himself a salary of $5 million per year, as a businessman he will make that money and then some. The other main owners realize this is Miami, where baseball has never and will never be king. I was raised in Southern Florida (Dade County, Miami) to be exact and down there Friday High School football is huge, and any kind of football, from the Hurricanes of the University of Miami to the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. The Fox Sports television contract with the Miami Marlins is one of the smaller in major league baseball, between a television network and a team.

The Florida Marlins won two World Series earlier in their existence, in 1997 and 2003. The Marlins were born in 1993. However, they broke those teams and got rid of all their star players, prompting an exodus of season ticket holders and others in the very tough baseball market that is Miami. With the new owners coming along they’re probably looking to get rid of some salaries, there are players that can be obtained from the Marlins like Yellich, Gordon, Osuna and even Giancarlo Stanton, who is on his way to 60 home runs this season and has enough power to hit it out to the San Francisco International Airport. That is a slugger that the Giants really need. But would he alone make a difference? I do not believe so. He will make Posey and other hitters much better. A trade for Stanton from the Marlins side they would probably want guys like Bumgarner and Panek, at least, maybe more. Plus Stanton alone would not make a difference if you do not have much more. Teams would pitch around that lineup.

But the Giants lack of power is a glaring issue for this team right now. Everybody these days have two,three, or more guys in lineups with 20 plus home runs, not the Giants. They have done it with great pitching in the past, but that is not there, at least this season.

The fact remains the Giants have 54 wins as the conclusion of play today, Sunday September 3, 2017, (with 22 games remaining) as they just lost three out of four games to the St Louis Cardinals, a team with a group of young and talented players, something that the Giants do not have in riches today.

One player will not make the difference for the Giants, I can care less, if it is Stanton, Bonds or Babe Ruth, this team needs an influx of young players because with Pence and Belt, they are not going to do it in 2018. The Giants prospects are not in the top 100 of Major League Baseball, they do have the money, so they might want to pay Stanton if the Marlins decide to unload his salary to the Giants, because the new owners in Miami are no fools, and they know in that market even if they win they still have a hard time bringing fans into their ballpark.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio talent for the A’s, the Spanish TV talent for the Angels, and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Colorado Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez, center, is congratulated by Alexi Amarista, front, after Ian Desmond doused Gonzalez with powder following his bases loaded walk against San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Cory Gearrin in the ninth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, in Denver. The Rockies won 4-3. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

On the Giants Podcast with Morris:

1 The Giants plan to re-evaluate once the season is finished one of the first things the club will do is evaluate it’s roster and Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner who give up three home runs and has struggled at times this season could be on the trade block this off season

2 When you see Mad Bum give up three home runs in one ball game the question could be is if it was mechanical or mental

3 The home run ball was so prevalent on Sunday that even Mad Bum hit one himself in the fifth inning

4 Despite giving up the three home runs Mad Bum still has a decent ERA at 3.15

5 The Giants are in Colorado on Monday night and dropped a one run deficit 4-3 and starter Chris Stratton started the ball game for the Giants and the Rockies Carlos Gonzalez ended it with a ninth walk for the win

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcasts each at http://www.sportsradioservice.com